US1567661A - Doll-dress structure - Google Patents

Description

Patented Dec. 29, 1925.

UNl'l'El) STATES PATENT OFFHZEQ JOHN LE'VAGGI AND WILLIAM C". DOI'IERTY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

DOLL-DRESS STRUCTURE.

Application filed. October 25, 1923.

T 0 all whom it may concern-.-

Be it known that we, JOHN LEVAGGI, a subject of the King of Italy, and VVILLIAM J. Dorrnnrr, a citizen of the United States, both residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Doll-Dress Structure, of which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to doll-dress structures and is particularly directed to a structure especially adapted for association with dolls of the type generally referred to as Kewpie dolls.

Dolls of this general type are designed and intended principally for distribution as prizes or premiums at parks, fairs, amusement resorts and like establishments, and while in some instances the dress structure for such dolls are quite complete, in the majority of instances they are designed to have a general appearance of a dress when viewed from the front with little attention being paid to the form or appearance when viewed from the back.

One type of such dress structure comprises a backing carrying elements of ornamentation arranged in simulation of a dress, and has one or more openings permitting the structure to be slipped longitudinally over the dolls and in structures using aiiexilole backing of sheet material, such as cardboard, it has been the usual practice to provide two longitudinally spaced openings therein and to apply the structure. to the doll by threading the doll longitudinally through one opening in one direction and then through the other opening in the opposi-te direction and then depending upon the tension of the cardboard to hold the structure in place. Such a structure is objectionable for the reason that at least one of these openings must be as wide as the widest portion of the doll, (usually the medial portion) with the result that when the dress-structure is in position the marginal edges of the larger opening will not closely fit the sides of the doll. A further objection resides in the time required to place such a dress structure upon the doll and also in the danger of injury to the strucjlure by frequent removal and subsequent applying 'ofthe dress structure to the doll.

This is quite important due to the fact that the dolls and dress structures are in the first .lnstancepacked separately for ship- Serial No. 670,711.

ment to the purchaser who applies the dresses to the dolls, the time required to apply a large number of such dress structures being an item of considerable expense, and considerable delay in instances where time is an important consideration, such as in the quick setting up of concession stands, particularly in travelling fairs, carnivals, etc. In such travelling establishments the item of packing space is of great importance and necessitates a frequent undressing and redressing of the dolls with the resulting liability of injury to doll-dress structures of a type which are threaded on the dolls, as above explained.

The present invention has for an object to provide a doll-dress structure which may be quickly and easily applied or removed without injury thereto, and which can be cheaply manufactured.

Another object is to provide a dressstructure including a supporting member extending only part way around the doll and maintained thereon entirely by its inherent tension.

Another object is to provide a normally flat dress structure having a single opening defining upper and lower marginal portions and intermediate opposed tongues, and adapted to be longitudinally bowed and transversely flexed to separate the tongues to permit the structure to be slipped laterally over the doll to a position in which the upper and lower marginal portions engage the front surface of the doll and the tongues enga e behind the intermediate portion of the toll.

Various other objects and advantages will be more fully apparent from the following description of the accompanying drawings which form a part of this disclosure, and which illustrate a preferred form of can bodiment of the invent-ion.

Of the drawings:

Fig. l is a front elevation of the dress structure applied to a doll.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the supporting member of said dress structure.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 3--3 of Fig. Land is a longitudinal section on line 4:,et of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, 1 designates a doll of the general type herein referred to, and 2 designates the supporting member of the dress-structure which carries the Various elements of ornamentation, which in the present instance, includes a plurality of feathers 3 arranged to have the general appearance of a dress, and various other elements of ornamentation such as the bows of tinsel 4-. These various elements are secured to the front surface of the supporting memher 2 by any suitable means, and the member 2 is made of flexible sheet material, preferably relatively heavy cardboard of a quality which when bent or flexed from its normally fiat condition will by its inherent tension tend to resume its fiat condition.

As shown in Fig. 2, said member has a single longitudinally disposed openingof approximate hour-glass contour defining upper and lower marginal edges 6 and 7, and opposed intermediate tongues 8 extending towards each other. The upper portion 9 of said opening is slightly wider than the head of the doll and the lower portion 10 of the opening is slightly wider than the lower portion of the doll, while the normal space 11 between the two tongues 8 1s narrower than the intermediate portion of the doll.

In applying this dress structure to a doll or other figure of like character, the operator holds the medial portion of the structure with both hands and with the thumbs engaging the respective tongues 8. By pressing backwardly with the thumbs upon the tongues 8 the side portions of the structure are flexed transversely and the tongues are separated to widen the space 11 to a degree in excess of the width of the intermediate portion of the doll. lVhile the structure is held flexed, it is slipped laterally over the doll, the edge 6 engaging the front surface of the doll above the forehead and the edge 7 engaging the front surface of the doll below toe waist, a continued rearward pressure causing the structure to be bowed longitudinally (see Fig. 4) until the tongues 8 are rearwardly of the shoulders of the doll. The structure is then released and the inherent tension of the member 2 causes the tongues 8 to spring towards each other and engage the rear surface of the doll with the result that the entire member 2 grips the figure and maintains the structure in place.

By the above means we have provided a doll-dress structure, which extends only part way around the figure and which has only single opening and is of a flexible nature permitting the structure to be laterally applied to the figure and maintained in position by the inherent tension of the structure. Further this structure provides a dress which closely fits the figure, and which can be quickly and easily applied or removed without injury to the dress.

While we have shown and described the structure as being applied to a doll, it will be obvious that it may also be applied to various other figures, and it is also obvious that other elements of ornamentation besides or in place of the feathers herein referred to may be used.

While the form of structure herein illustrated and described is well adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that we do not wish to limit our invention to the one form of embodiment herein disclosed, for it is susceptible of embodiment in various other forms all coming within the scope of the following claims.

o claim:

1. A doll-dress of the nature disclosed comprising a supporting member adapted to be laterally engaged upon a doll or other figure of like character, said member having a single opening defining upper and lower marginal edges to engage the front surface of the figure and intermediate means adapted to engage the rear surface of the figure, and elements of ornamentation secured to said member and constituting component parts of the dress.

2. A doll-dress of the nature disclosed comprising a supporting member adapted to be laterally engaged over a doll or other figure of like character, said member consisting of a piece of flexible sheet material having a single opening defining upper and lower marginal edges adapted to engage the front surface of the figure and side marginal edges adapted to engage the rear sur face of said figure, and elements of ornamentation secured to said member and constituting component parts of the dress.

3. A doll-dress of the nature disclosed comprising a supporting member adapted to be laterally engaged over a doll or other figure of like character, said member consisting of a piece of flexible sheet material having a single longitudinally disposed opening narrower at its medial portion than the width of a corresponding portion of the figure to which the structure is to be applied, said opening defining upper and lower marginal edges adapted to engage the front surface of the figure and intermediate side marginal edges adapted to engage the rear surface thereof, and elements of ornamentation secured to said member and constitut ing component parts of the dress.

at. A doll-dress of the nature disclosed. comprising a supporting member adapted to be laterally engaged upon a doll or other figure of like character, said member coir sisting of a single sheet of flexible material devoid of folds or creases and having a single opening defining upper and lower marginal edges adapted 'to engage the front surface of the figure and intermediate side marginal edges adapted to engage the rear surface thereof, and elements of ornamentation secured to said member and constituting component'parts of the dress.

The combination including a doll or other. figure of like character, and a dolldress comprising a supporting member consisting of a normally flat piece of flexible material having a single longitudinally disposed opening Wider at its end portions than the corresponding portions of said figure and narrower at its intermediate portion than the intermediate portion of said figure, said opening defining upper and lower marginal edges and opposed intermediate tongues, the member being capable of being flexed to move the tongues rearwardly and away from each other and permit said member to be slipped over the figure with the upper and lower marginal edges engaging the front surface thereof and the tongues positioned rearwardly of said figure Where by upon release of said member the tongues engage the rear surface of the figure and the inherent tension of the member causes it to grip the figure, and elements of ornamentation secured to said member and constituting component parts of the dress.

The combination including adoll or other figure of like character, and a dolldress comprising a supporting member consisting of a normally flat sheet of flexible material and having a single longitudinally disposed opening of general hour-glass contour defining upper and lower marginal edges and intermediate opposed tongues, said member being capable of being flexed to spread the tongues apart and permit the member to be slipped laterally over the figure and then released whereby the inherent tension of said member causes it to grip the figure With the upper and lower marginal edges engaging the front surface and the tongues engaging the rear surface of the figure, and elements of ornamentation secured to said member and constituting component parts of the dress.

7. The combination including a doll or other figure of like character, a member entirely supported by said figure and consisting of a flexible piece of sheet material having a central opening defining an upper and a lower marginal edge engaging the front surface of the figure and opposed tongues engaging the rear surface of the figure, said member being retained in place by its inherent tension, and elements of ornamentation secured to the front surface of said member and arranged in simulation of a fanciful dress.

8. An article of manufacture constituting a doll-dress and consisting of a flat sheet of flexible material having a single longitudinally disposed opening of approximate hourglass contour, and elements of ornamentation secured to said member and constituting component parts of the dress.

Signed at Los Angeles, California this 19th day of October 1923.

JOHN LEVAGGI. WILLIAM J. DOHERTY

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